Kelowna is known for its beauty, heat & good times. In 2020 alone almost 2 million people visited the city, and it is currently one of the fastest growing cities in Canada. Is it really worth the hype? Does it deserve the title “Kelownafornia?”
Context:
To give a bit of background, we moved to Kelowna in 2019 from Salmon Arm BC.
We were going from a small town population of about 17,000 to Kelowna which has a population of at least 130,000. This is important because for some people moving to Kelowna is a downsize, coming from Vancouver or Toronto, but for us, it was like moving to a big city. In comparison to most other surrounding places in the Okanagan (Peachland, Summerland, Penticton, Vernon, lake country), Kelowna is the biggest city.
In relation to some other major cities, Kelowna is 4 hours from Vancouver, 7 hours from Calgary.
A big small town:
After almost 2 years of living here, we have realized that Kelowna really does feel like a big small town. This may be simply due to the fact that we have lived in Kelowna during a year of pandemic, but overall it does not have the same city feel that Vancouver does. It feels much more laid back, with the lifestyle as well as the city shutting down after 5pm.
Pros of Living in Kelowna:
Lots of focus on recreation all year round.
Four distinct seasons
Community Feel
Close to Vancouver
You have access to things you need: Costco, Airport, Specialty stores
Access to nature, camping & lakes
Prime spot for day trips
Cons of Living in Kelowna:
Crowded Beaches
Dry, Hot Summer, Cold Winter
Can be cliquey/hard to meet people
Expensive
Difficult to find rental suites, never mind buying a house.
Focus on drinking (hundreds of wineries but only a couple of coffee shops)
Lots of people that live here & not enough in place to support them all
Traffic!
Conclusion:
Overall, there are pros and cons to living anywhere, but we have loved making our home in Kelowna. If you want to hear our youtube video breaking each of these pros & cons down, check it out here:
We are Levi and Victoria. Husband and wife creative team based in Kelowna, British Columbia. We are photographers and entrepreneurs who specialize in wedding photography & helping others build profitable brands in line with their passions.
